Faces of The Fellowship: Kolya

Seven-year-old Kolya lives with his siblings (Misha, 11, and Zhenja, 1), their mother, and their grandmother in a tiny apartment in a Soviet-style apartment block on the outskirts of Minsk.

The children’s mother, Violetta, works long hours to support her family, but they still struggle to get by. Misha has recently enrolled in a Jewish boarding school in another city. Although it is hard for everyone that he is so far away, the school provides a good education, as well as food and a warm bed to sleep in. For a family where every penny counts, the fact that Misha gets three square meals a day helps them feel they have made the right decision.

Food for Kolya and Zhenja comes from The Fellowship. We provide them with a food card and packages of special food for the Jewish holidays. “More than material help, The Fellowship gives us peace of mind,” says Violetta. “We know who we can turn to in times of need.”